U.S. patent number 10,367,250 [Application Number 15/295,365] was granted by the patent office on 2019-07-30 for antenna structure and electronic device including the same.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.. The grantee listed for this patent is Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.. Invention is credited to Kuo Cheng Chen, You Chieh Chen, Soon Ho Hwang, Yoon Jae Lee.
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United States Patent |
10,367,250 |
Chen , et al. |
July 30, 2019 |
Antenna structure and electronic device including the same
Abstract
An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes
a housing and an antenna radiator disposed in the housing. An
opening is formed in the housing. The opening includes a first
portion configured to align with a length direction of the antenna
radiator at a position corresponding to the antenna radiator and
penetrate the housing in a thickness direction, and a second
portion connected to the first portion, the second portion being
configured to form a specified angle with respect to the length
direction of the antenna radiator and penetrate the housing in a
thickness direction. At least a portion of the housing, which
surrounds the opening, comprises a conductive member. At least a
portion of a circumference of the opening comprises an electrical
open curve.
Inventors: |
Chen; Kuo Cheng (Suwon-si,
KR), Chen; You Chieh (Suwon-si, KR), Lee;
Yoon Jae (Seoul, KR), Hwang; Soon Ho (Seoul,
KR) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. |
Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do |
N/A |
KR |
|
|
Assignee: |
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
(Suwon-si, KR)
|
Family
ID: |
58562067 |
Appl.
No.: |
15/295,365 |
Filed: |
October 17, 2016 |
Prior Publication Data
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Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
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US 20170117616 A1 |
Apr 27, 2017 |
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Foreign Application Priority Data
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Oct 27, 2015 [KR] |
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10-2015-0149162 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01Q
1/2291 (20130101); H01Q 9/0421 (20130101); H01Q
1/24 (20130101); H01Q 9/42 (20130101); H01Q
1/243 (20130101); H01Q 9/04 (20130101); H01Q
1/36 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
H01Q
1/36 (20060101); H01Q 9/04 (20060101); H01Q
1/24 (20060101); H01Q 1/22 (20060101); H01Q
9/42 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;343/702 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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10-2009-0116030 |
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Nov 2009 |
|
KR |
|
Primary Examiner: Tran; Hai V
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Jefferson IP Law, LLP
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An electronic device comprising: a housing forming an appearance
of the electronic device; and an antenna radiator disposed in an
internal space formed by the housing, wherein an opening is formed
in the housing and is spaced a distance apart from a position
corresponding to the antenna radiator, wherein the opening
comprises: a first portion configured to: align with a length
direction of the antenna radiator at a position corresponding to
the antenna radiator, and penetrate the housing in a thickness
direction; and a second portion connected to the first portion, the
second portion being configured to: form a specified angle with
respect to the length direction of the antenna radiator, and
penetrate the housing in the thickness direction, wherein at least
a portion of the housing, which surrounds the opening, comprises a
conductive member, and wherein at least a portion of a
circumference of the opening comprises an electrical open
curve.
2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the opening is at
least formed in a rear housing of the electronic device.
3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the
first portion and the second portion is formed to comprise an
oblong shape.
4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first portion is
formed in a one of a rear housing, an upper-side housing, and
bottom-side housing.
5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the second portion is
formed to expand toward one of an upper-side housing and a
bottom-side housing of the electronic device.
6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the second portion is
formed to expand toward one side periphery of the housing of the
electronic device.
7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein, when one end of the
second portion is connected to the first portion and the second
portion is configured to be perpendicular with respect to the first
portion, the first portion and the second portion together form a
"T" shape.
8. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of
the housing, which is formed of the conductive member, is
electromagnetically coupled to the antenna radiator at the
circumference of the opening.
9. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein a length of the
electrical open curve is determined based on a specified
wavelength.
10. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the opening is filled
with a dielectric member.
11. An electronic device comprising: an external housing forming an
appearance of the electronic device, and including a first surface
and a second surface facing an opposite direction of the first
surface; a conductive member forming at least a portion of the
first surface of the external housing; an antenna radiator disposed
in an internal space formed by the external housing and spaced
apart from the conductive member; and an opening formed by
penetrating at least a portion of the conductive member, wherein
the opening comprises: a first portion configured to substantially
align with at least a portion of the antenna radiator; and a second
portion configured to be substantially perpendicular to the first
portion, wherein the second portion extends from a portion of the
first portion to an adjacency of one of a periphery of the
conductive member.
12. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the opening is
formed to comprise a "T" shape.
13. The electronic device of claim 11, further comprising a
non-conductive material filling at least a portion of the
opening.
14. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the conductive
member is disposed above a battery mounted in the external
housing.
15. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the external housing
further comprises a third surface interposed between the first
surface and the second surface, and wherein a portion of a display
is disposed on the third surface of the external housing.
16. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein at least a portion
of a display is disposed on at least a portion of the first surface
of the external housing.
17. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the display is
configured to: pass a third surface to a location between the first
surface and the second surface, from the second surface, of the
external housing, and connect to at least the portion of the first
surface.
18. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein the conductive
member extends from at least a portion of the first surface of the
external housing to at least a portion of the third surface.
19. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the electronic
device further comprises another opening formed by penetrating at
least another portion of the conductive member, and wherein at
least one electronic component included in the housing is exposed
to the outside through the other opening.
20. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the antenna radiator
is configured to form at least a portion of an inverted-F antenna.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)
This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. .sctn. 119(a)
of a Korean patent application filed on Oct. 27, 2015 in the Korean
Intellectual Property Office and assigned Serial number
10-2015-0149162, the entire disclosure of which is hereby
incorporated by reference.
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present disclosure relates to an antenna structure using at
least a portion of an external housing as an antenna radiator and
an electronic device including the same.
BACKGROUND
An electronic device having a communication function may provide
mobile communication service by using an antenna. For example, an
antenna may be disposed in a partial area of the inside and/or
outside of an electronic device housing.
In general, an antenna disposed on an electronic device may be
divided into an external antenna and a built-in antenna according
to a mounting position. The external antenna has an
omni-directional radiation characteristic due to the feature of
protruding toward the outside, but has a high breakage concern due
to an external impact and is very inconvenient in carrying.
Furthermore it may be difficult to design a highly aesthetic
appearance of a terminal. Accordingly, today, instead of the
external antenna, a built-in antenna mounted inside a portable
electronic device is widely used.
An antenna may be located at the inside of an electronic device and
an external housing may be formed of metallic frames. For example,
as signals transmitted from an antenna disposed inside an
electronic device to the outside are partly distorted or blocked
due to a metallic frame, antenna radiation performance may be
deteriorated.
The housing inside space of an electronic device where an antenna
is to be mounted may be limited and, if an electronic device
becomes more minimized, may be further limited. When frequency
bands supported by an antenna are various, since a plurality of
antennas or a complex antenna is required to be disposed, a housing
inside space may be further limited.
The above information is presented as background information only
to assist with an understanding of the present disclosure. No
determination has been made, and no assertion is made, as to
whether any of the above might be applicable as prior art with
regard to the present disclosure.
SUMMARY
Aspects of the present disclosure are to address at least the
above-mentioned problems and/or disadvantages and to provide at
least the advantages described below. Accordingly, an aspect of the
present disclosure is to provide an antenna structure using at
least a portion of an external housing as an antenna radiator and
an electronic device including the same.
In accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure, an
electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a
housing and an antenna radiator disposed in the housing. An opening
is formed in the housing. The opening includes a first portion
configured to align with a length direction of the antenna radiator
at a position corresponding to the antenna radiator and penetrate
the housing in a thickness direction, and a second portion
connected to the first portion, the second portion being configured
to form a specified angle with respect to the length direction of
the antenna radiator and penetrate the housing in a thickness
direction. At least a portion of the housing, which surrounds the
opening, comprises a conductive member. At least a portion of a
circumference of the opening comprises an electrical open
curve.
In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, an
electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes an
external housing including a first surface and a second surface
facing an opposite direction of the first surface, a conductive
member forming at least a portion of the first surface of the
external housing, an antenna radiator disposed in the external
housing and spaced apart from the conductive member, and an opening
formed by penetrating at least a portion of the conductive member.
The opening includes a first portion configured to substantially
align with at least a portion of the antenna radiator and a second
portion configured to be substantially perpendicular to the first
portion. The second portion extends from a portion of the first
portion to an adjacency of one of a periphery of the conductive
member.
Other aspects, advantages, and salient features of the disclosure
will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following
detailed description, which, taken in conjunction with the annexed
drawings, discloses various embodiments of the present
disclosure.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The above and other aspects, features, and advantages of certain
embodiments of the present disclosure will be more apparent from
the following description taken in conjunction with the
accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a view illustrating an electronic device in a network
environment according to various embodiments of the present
disclosure;
FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an electronic device
according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;
FIGS. 3A to 3C are views illustrating an electronic device where an
antenna structure is mountable according to various embodiments of
the present disclosure;
FIG. 4 is a sectional view of an electronic device where an antenna
structure is mounted according to an embodiment of the present
disclosure;
FIG. 5 is a view illustrating an electronic device where an antenna
structure is mounted according to an embodiment of the present
disclosure;
FIGS. 6A and 6B are views illustrating an opening according to
various embodiments of the present disclosure;
FIGS. 7A and 7B are views illustrating an electronic device where
an opening is formed according to various embodiments of the
present disclosure;
FIG. 8 is a view illustrating a relationship between a frequency by
an operation of an electronic device and a reflection coefficient
according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
FIG. 9 is a view illustrating a relationship between a frequency by
a simulation operation of an electronic device and a reflection
coefficient according to an embodiment of the present
disclosure;
FIGS. 10A to 10C are views illustrating a high frequency structural
simulator (HFSS) simulation result of an electronic device where an
antenna structure is mounted according to an embodiment of the
present disclosure;
FIG. 11 is a view illustrating an electronic device where an
antenna structure is applied according to an embodiment of the
present disclosure;
FIG. 12 is a view illustrating a radiation efficiency and a
reflection coefficient by an operation of an electronic device
according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
FIG. 13 is a view illustrating an electronic device where an
antenna structure is applied according to another embodiment of the
present disclosure;
FIG. 14 is a view illustrating a radiation efficiency and a
reflection coefficient by an operation of an electronic device
according to another embodiment of the present disclosure;
FIG. 15 is a view illustrating a radiation efficiency and a
reflection coefficient by an operation of an electronic device
according to another embodiment of the present disclosure; and
FIG. 16 is a block diagram illustrating a program module according
to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
Throughout the drawings, like reference numerals will be understood
to refer to like parts, components, and structures.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The following description with reference to the accompanying
drawings is provided to assist in a comprehensive understanding of
various embodiments of the present disclosure as defined by the
claims and their equivalents. It includes various specific details
to assist in that understanding but these are to be regarded as
merely exemplary. Accordingly, those of ordinary skill in the art
will recognize that various changes and modifications of the
various embodiments described herein can be made without departing
from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. In addition,
descriptions of well-known functions and constructions may be
omitted for clarity and conciseness.
The terms and words used in the following description and claims
are not limited to the bibliographical meanings, but, are merely
used by the inventor to enable a clear and consistent understanding
of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it should be apparent to
those skilled in the art that the following description of various
embodiments of the present disclosure is provided for illustration
purpose only and not for the purpose of limiting the present
disclosure as defined by the appended claims and their
equivalents.
It is to be understood that the singular forms "a," "an," and "the"
include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates
otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to "a component surface"
includes reference to one or more of such surfaces.
The term "include," "comprise," and "have," or "may include," "may
comprise," and "may have" used herein indicates disclosed
functions, operations, or existence of elements but does not
exclude other functions, operations or elements.
For instance, the expression "A or B," or "at least one of A or/and
B," may indicate A, B, or both A and B. For instance, the
expression "A or B," or "at least one of A or/and B," may indicate
(1) at least one A, (2) at least one B, or (3) both at least one A
and at least one B.
The terms such as "1.sup.st," "2.sup.nd," "first," "second," and
the like used herein may refer to modifying various different
elements of various embodiments of the present disclosure, but do
not limit the elements. For instance, "a first user device" and "a
second user device" may indicate different users regardless of the
order or the importance. For example, a first component may be
referred to as a second component and vice versa without departing
from the scope of the present disclosure.
In various embodiments of the present disclosure, it will be
understood that when a component (for example, a first component)
is referred to as being "(operatively or communicatively) coupled
with/to" or "connected to" another component (for example, a second
component), the component may be directly connected to the other
component or connected through another component (for example, a
third component). In various embodiments of the present disclosure,
it will be understood that when a component (for example, a first
component) is referred to as being "directly connected to" or
"directly accesses" another component (for example, a second
component), another component (for example, a third component) does
not exist between the component (for example, the first component)
and the other component (for example, the second component).
The expression "configured to" used in various embodiments of the
present disclosure may be interchangeably used with "suitable for,"
"having the capacity to," "designed to," "adapted to," "made to,"
or "capable of" according to a situation, for example. The term
"configured to" may not necessarily mean "specifically designed to"
in terms of hardware. Instead, the expression "a device configured
to" in some situations may mean that the device and another device
or part are "capable of." For example, "a processor configured to
perform A, B, and C" in a phrase may mean a dedicated processor
(for example, an embedded processor) for performing a corresponding
operation or a generic-purpose processor (for example, a central
processing unit (CPU) or application processor (AP)) for performing
corresponding operations by executing at least one software program
stored in a memory device.
In general, the terms defined in the dictionary should be
considered to have the same meaning as the contextual meaning of
the related art, and, unless clearly defined herein, should not be
understood abnormally or as having an excessively formal meaning.
In any cases, even the terms defined in this specification cannot
be interpreted as excluding various embodiments of the present
disclosure.
According to various embodiments of the present disclosure,
electronic devices may include at least one of smartphones, tablet
personal computers (PCs), mobile phones, video phones, electronic
book (e-book) readers, desktop PCs, laptop PCs, netbook computers,
workstation servers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), portable
multimedia players (PMPs), moving picture experts group phase 1 or
phase 2 (MPEG-1 or MPEG-2) audio layer 3 (MP3) players, mobile
medical devices, cameras, and wearable devices. According to
various embodiments of the present disclosure, the wearable devices
may include at least one of accessory types (e.g., watches, rings,
bracelets, anklets, necklaces, glasses, contact lenses, and
head-mounted-devices (HMDs)), fabric or garment integrated types
(for example, e-apparel), body-mounted types (for example, skin
pads and tattoos), and bio-implantation types (for example,
implantable circuits).
According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, an
electronic device may be a home appliance. The smart home
appliances may include at least one of, for example, televisions
(TVs), digital versatile disc (DVD) players, audios, refrigerators,
air conditioners, cleaners, ovens, microwave ovens, washing
machines, air cleaners, set-top boxes, home automation control
panels, security control panels, TV boxes (e.g., Samsung
HomeSync.TM., Apple TV.TM. and Google TV.TM.), game consoles (for
example, Xbox.TM. and PlayStation.TM.), electronic dictionaries,
electronic keys, camcorders, and electronic picture frames.
According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, an
electronic device may include at least one of various medical
devices supporting call forwarding service (for example, various
portable measurement devices (for example, glucometers, heart rate
meters, blood pressure meters, temperature meters, etc.), magnetic
resonance angiography (MRA) devices, magnetic resonance imaging
(MRI) devices, computed tomography (CT) devices, medical imaging
devices, ultrasonic devices, etc.), navigation devices, global
navigation satellite system (GNSS), event data recorders (EDRs),
flight data recorders (FDRs), vehicle infotainment devices, marine
electronic equipment (for example, marine navigation systems, gyro
compasses, etc.), avionics, security equipment, vehicle head units,
industrial or household robots, financial institutions' automatic
teller's machines (ATMs), or stores' point of sales (POS) or
internet of things (for example, bulbs, various sensors, electric
or gas meters, sprinkler systems, fire alarms, thermostats, street
lights, toasters, exercise equipment, hot water tanks, heaters,
boilers, etc.).
In various embodiments of the present disclosure, an electronic
device may include at least one of part of furniture or
buildings/structures supporting call forwarding service, electronic
boards, electronic signature receiving devices, projectors, and
various measuring instruments (for example, water, electricity,
gas, and radio signal measuring instruments). An electronic device
according to various embodiments of the present disclosure may be
one of the above-mentioned various devices or a combination
thereof. Additionally, an electronic device according to an
embodiment of the present disclosure may be a flexible electronic
device. Additionally, an electronic device according to an
embodiment of the present disclosure is not limited to the
above-mentioned devices and may include a new kind of an electronic
device according to the technology development.
Hereinafter, an electronic device according to various embodiments
of the present disclosure will be described in more detail with
reference to the accompanying drawings. The term "user" in this
disclosure may refer to a person using an electronic device or a
device using an electronic device (for example, an artificial
intelligent electronic device).
FIG. 1 is a view illustrating an electronic device in a network
environment 100 according to various embodiments of the present
disclosure.
Referring to FIG. 1, according to various embodiments of the
present disclosure, electronic devices 101, 102, and 104 and a
server 106 may be connected to each other through a network 162 or
a short-range communication 164. The electronic device 101 may
include a bus 110, a processor 120, a memory 130, an input/output
interface 150, a display 160, and a communication interface 170.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the
electronic device 101 may omit at least one of the components or
may additionally include a different component.
The bus 110, for example, may include a circuit for connecting the
components 120, 130, 150, 160, and 170 to each other and delivering
a communication (for example, control message and/or data) between
the components 120, 130, 150, 160, and 170.
The processor 120 may include at least one of a CPU, an AP, and a
communication processor (CP). The processor 120, for example, may
execute calculation or data processing for control and/or
communication of at least one other component of the electronic
device 101.
The memory 130 may include volatile and/or nonvolatile memory. The
memory 130, for example, may store instructions or data relating to
at least one other component of the electronic device 101.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the memory
130 may store software and/or program 140. The program 140 may
include a kernel 141, a middleware 143, an application programming
interface (API) 145, and/or an application program (or an
application) 147. At least part of the kernel 141, the middleware
143, and the API 145 may be an operating system (OS).
The kernel 141, for example, may control or manage system resources
(for example, the bus 110, the processor 120, the memory 130, and
so on) used for performing operations or functions implemented in
other programs (for example, the middleware 143, the API 145, and
the application 147). Additionally, the kernel 141 may provide an
interface for controlling or managing system resources by accessing
an individual component of the electronic device 101 from the
middleware 143, the API 145, or the application 147.
The middleware 143, for example, may serve as an intermediary role
for exchanging data as the API 145 or the application 147
communicates with the kernel 141.
Additionally, the middleware 143 may process at least one job
request received from the application 147 according to a priority.
For example, the middleware 143 may assign to at least one
application 147 a priority for using a system resource (for
example, the bus 110, the processor 120, or the memory 130) of the
electronic device 101. For example, the middleware 143 may perform
scheduling or load balancing on the at least one job request by
processing the at least one job request according to the priority
assigned to the at least one job request.
The API 145, as an interface for allowing the application 147 to
control a function provided from the kernel 141 or the middleware
143, may include at least one interface or function (for example,
an instruction) for file control, window control, image processing,
or character control.
The input/output interface 150, for example, may serve as an
interface for delivering instructions or data inputted from a user
or another external device to another component(s) of the
electronic device 101. Additionally, the input/output interface 150
may output instructions or data received from another component(s)
of the electronic device 101 to a user or another external
device.
The display 160, for example, may include a liquid crystal display
(LCD), a light emitting diode (LED) display, an organic LED (OLED)
display, a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) display, or an
electronic paper display. The display 160, for example, may display
a variety of contents (for example, text, image, video, icon,
symbol, and so on) to a user. The display 160 may include a touch
screen, and for example, may receive a touch, gesture, proximity,
or hovering input by using an electronic pen or a user's body
part.
The communication interface 170, for example, may set a
communication between the electronic device 101 and an external
device (for example, first external electronic device 102, second
external electronic device 104, or the server 106). For example,
the communication interface 170 may communicate with an external
device (for example, the second external electronic device 104 or
the server 106) in connection to the network 162 through wireless
communication or wired communication.
The wireless communication, as a cellular communication protocol,
may use at least one of long-term evolution (LTE), LTE advanced
(LTE-A), code division multiple access (CDMA), wideband CDMA
(WCDMA), universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS),
wireless broadband (WiBro), global system for mobile communications
(GSM), and so on. Additionally, the wireless communication, for
example, may include the short range communication 164. The short
range communication 164, for example, may include at least one of
Wi-Fi, Bluetooth (BT), near field communication (NFC), magnetic
stripe transmission (MST), or GNSS.
The MST may generate pulses by using magnetic signals according to
transmission data and the pulses may generate magnetic signals. The
electronic device 101 may transmit the magnetic signals to a POS
and the POS may detect the magnetic signals by using an MST reader
and restore the data by converting the detected magnetic signals
into electrical signals.
The GNSS may include at least one of global positioning system
(GPS), global orbiting navigation satellite system (GLONASS),
Beidou navigation satellite system (hereinafter referred to as
Beidou), and Galileo, that is, the European global satellite-based
navigation system. Hereinafter, GPS and GNSS may be interchangeably
used. The wired communication, for example, may include at least
one of universal serial bus (USB), high definition multimedia
interface (HDMI), recommended standard-232 (RS-232), and plain old
telephone service (POTS). The network 162 may include a
telecommunications network, for example, at least one of computer
network (for example, local area network (LAN) or wireless area
network (WAN)), Internet, and telephone network.
Each of the first and second external electronic devices 102 and
104 may be the same or different from the electronic device 101.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the server
106 may include a group of one or more servers. According to
various embodiments of the present disclosure, all or part of
operations executed on the electronic device 101 may be executed on
another one or more electronic devices (for example, the first or
second external electronic device 102 or 104 or the server
106).
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, when the
electronic device 101 performs a certain function or service
automatically or by a request, it may request at least part of a
function relating thereto from another device (for example, the
first or second external electronic device 102 or 104 or the server
106) instead of or in addition to executing the function or service
by itself. The other electronic device (for example, the first or
second external electronic device 102 or 104 or the server 106) may
execute a requested function or an additional function and may
deliver an execution result to the electronic device 101. The
electronic device 101 may provide the requested function or service
as it is or by processing the received result additionally. For
this, for example, cloud computing, distributed computing, or
client-server computing technology may be used.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an electronic device
according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
Referring to FIG. 2, an electronic device 201, for example, may
include all or part of the above-mentioned electronic device 101
shown in FIG. 1. The electronic device 201 may include at least one
processor (for example, processor 210), a communication module 220,
a subscriber identification module (SIM) 229, a memory 230, a
sensor module 240, an input device 250, a display 260, an interface
270, an audio module 280, a camera module 291, a power management
module 295, a battery 296, an indicator 297, and a motor 298.
The processor 210 may control a plurality of hardware or software
components connected thereto and also may perform various data
processing and operations by executing an OS or an application
program. The processor 210 may be implemented with a system on chip
(SoC), for example. According to an embodiment of the present
disclosure, the processor 210 may further include a graphics
processing unit (GPU) (not shown) and/or an image signal processor
(ISP). The processor 210 may include at least part (for example,
cellular module 221) of components shown in FIG. 2. The processor
210 may load commands or data received from at least one of other
components (for example, nonvolatile memory) and process them and
may store various data in a nonvolatile memory.
The communication module 220 may have the same or similar
configuration to the communication interface 170 of FIG. 1. The
communication module 220 may include a cellular module 221, a Wi-Fi
module 222, a BT module 223, a GNSS module 224 (for example, a GPS
module, a GLONASS module, a Beidou module, or a Galileo module), an
NFC module 225, an MST module 226, and a radio frequency (RF)
module 227.
The cellular module 221, for example, may provide voice call, video
call, text service, or Internet service through a communication
network. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the
cellular module 221 may perform a distinction and authentication
operation on the electronic device 201 in a communication network
by using a SIM (for example, the SIM 229). According to an
embodiment of the present disclosure, the cellular module 221 may
perform at least part of a function that the processor 210
provides. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the
cellular module 221 may further include a CP.
Each of the Wi-Fi module 222, the BT module 223, the GNSS module
224, the NFC module 225, and the MST module 226 may include a
processor for processing data transmitted/received through a
corresponding module. According to an embodiment of the present
disclosure, at least part (for example, two or more) of the
cellular module 221, the Wi-Fi module 222, the BT module 223, the
GNSS module 224, the NFC module 225, and the MST module 226 may be
included in one integrated chip (IC) or IC package.
The RF module 227, for example, may transmit/receive communication
signals (for example, RF signals). The RF module 227, for example,
may include a transceiver, a power amp module (PAM), a frequency
filter, a low noise amplifier (LNA), or an antenna. According to
another embodiment of the present disclosure, at least one of the
cellular module 221, the Wi-Fi module 222, the BT module 223, the
GNSS module 224, the NFC module 225, and the MST module 226 may
transmit/receive RF signals through a separate RF module.
The SIM 229, for example, may include a card including a SIM and/or
an embedded SIM and also may include unique identification
information (for example, an integrated circuit card identifier
(ICCID)) or subscriber information (for example, an international
mobile subscriber identity (IMSI)).
The memory 230 (for example, the memory 130) may include an
internal memory 232 and/or an external memory 234. The internal
memory 232 may include at least one of a volatile memory (for
example, dynamic random access memory (DRAM), static RAM (SRAM),
synchronous dynamic RAM (SDRAM)) and a non-volatile memory (for
example, one time programmable read only memory (OTPROM),
programmable ROM (PROM), erasable and programmable ROM (EPROM),
electrically erasable and programmable ROM (EEPROM), mask ROM,
flash ROM, flash memory (for example, NAND flash memory or NOR
flash memory), hard drive, or solid state drive (SSD)).
The external memory 234 may further include a flash drive, for
example, compact flash (CF), secure digital (SD), micro-SD,
mini-SD, extreme digital (xD), multimedia card (MMC), or a memory
stick. The external memory 234 may be functionally and/or
physically connected to the electronic device 201 through various
interfaces.
A security module 236, as a module including a storage space having
a relatively higher security level than the memory 230, may be a
circuit for securing safe data storage and protected execution
environment. The security module 236 may be implemented as a
separate circuit and may include an additional processor. The
security module 236, for example, may be in a detachable smart chip
or a SD card or may include an embedded secure element (eSE)
embedded in a fixed chip of the electronic device 201.
Additionally, the security module 236 may run on a different OS
from the electronic device 201. For example, the security module
236 may run based on java card open platform (JCOP) OS.
The sensor module 240 measures physical quantities or detects an
operating state of the electronic device 201, thereby converting
the measured or detected information into electrical signals. The
sensor module 240 may include at least one of a gesture sensor
240A, a gyro sensor 240B, a barometric pressure sensor 240C, a
magnetic sensor 240D, an acceleration sensor 240E, a grip sensor
240F, a proximity sensor 240G, a color sensor 240H (for example, a
red, green, blue (RGB) sensor), a biometric sensor 240L a
temperature/humidity sensor 240J, an illumination sensor 240K, and
an ultra violet (UV) sensor 240M. Additionally or alternatively,
the sensor module 240 may include an E-nose sensor, an
electromyography (EMG) sensor, an electroencephalogram (EEG)
sensor, an electrocardiogram (ECG) sensor, an infrared (IR) sensor,
an iris sensor, or a fingerprint sensor. The sensor module 240 may
further include a control circuit for controlling at least one
sensor therein. According to an embodiment of the present
disclosure, the electronic device 201 may further include a
processor configured to control the sensor module 240 as part of or
separately from the processor 210 and thus may control the sensor
module 240 while the processor 210 is in a sleep state.
The input device 250 may include a touch panel 252, a (digital) pen
sensor 254, a key 256, or an ultrasonic input device 258. The touch
panel 252 may use at least one of capacitive, resistive, infrared,
or ultrasonic methods, for example. Additionally, the touch panel
252 may further include a control circuit. The touch panel 252 may
further include a tactile layer to provide tactile response to a
user.
The (digital) pen sensor 254, for example, may include a sheet for
recognition as part of a touch panel or a separate sheet for
recognition. The key 256 may include a physical button, an optical
key, or a keypad, for example. The ultrasonic input device 258 may
detect ultrasonic waves generated from an input tool through a
microphone (for example, microphone 288) in order to check data
corresponding to the detected ultrasonic waves.
The display 260 (for example, the display 160) may include a panel
262, a hologram device 264, or a projector 266. The panel 262 may
have the same or similar configuration to the display 160 of FIG.
1. The panel 262 may be implemented to be flexible, transparent, or
wearable, for example. The panel 262 and the touch panel 252 may be
configured with one module. The hologram device 264 may show
three-dimensional images in the air by using the interference of
light. The projector 266 may display an image by projecting light
on a screen. The screen, for example, may be placed inside or
outside the electronic device 201. According to an embodiment of
the present disclosure, the display 260 may further include a
control circuit for controlling the panel 262, the hologram device
264, or the projector 266.
The interface 270 may include an HDMI 272, a USB 274, an optical
interface 276, or a D-subminiature (D-sub) 278, for example. The
interface 270, for example, may be included in the communication
interface 170 shown in FIG. 1. Additionally or alternatively, the
interface 270 may include a mobile high-definition link (MHL)
interface, an SD card/MMC interface, or an infrared data
association (IrDA) standard interface.
The audio module 280 may convert sound into electrical signals and
convert electrical signals into sounds. At least some components of
the audio module 280, for example, may be included in the
input/output interface 150 shown in FIG. 1. The audio module 280
may process sound information inputted/outputted through at least
one of a speaker 282, a receiver 284, an earphone 286, and a
microphone 288.
The camera module 291, as a device for capturing a still image and
a video, may include at least one image sensor (for example, a
front sensor and/or a rear sensor), a lens (not shown), an ISP (not
shown), and a flash (not shown) (for example, an LED or a xenon
lamp).
The power management module 295 may manage the power of the
electronic device 201. According to an embodiment of the present
disclosure, the power management module 295 may include at least
one of a power management IC (PMIC), a charger IC, and a battery
and/or fuel gauge, for example. The PMIC may have a wired and/or
wireless charging method. As the wireless charging method, for
example, there is a magnetic resonance method, a magnetic induction
method, or an electromagnetic method. An additional circuit for
wireless charging, for example, a circuit such as a coil loop, a
resonant circuit, or a rectifier circuit, may be added. The battery
gauge may measure the remaining amount of the battery 296, or a
voltage, current, or temperature thereof during charging. The
battery 296, for example, may include a rechargeable battery and/or
a solar battery.
The indicator 297 may display a specific state of the electronic
device 201 or part thereof (for example, the processor 210), for
example, a booting state, a message state, or a charging state. The
motor 298 may convert electrical signals into mechanical vibration
and may generate vibration or haptic effect. Although not shown in
the drawings, the electronic device 201 may include a processing
device (for example, a GPU) for mobile TV support. A processing
device for mobile TV support may process media data according to
the standards such as digital multimedia broadcasting (DMB),
digital video broadcasting (DVB), or mediaFLO.TM..
Each of the above-mentioned components of the electronic device
according to various embodiments of the present disclosure may be
configured with at least one component and the name of a
corresponding component may vary according to the kind of an
electronic device. According to various embodiments of the present
disclosure, an electronic device may include at least one of the
above-mentioned components, may not include some of the
above-mentioned components, or may further include another
component. Additionally, some of the components in an electronic
device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure
may be configured as one entity, so that functions of previous
corresponding components are performed identically.
FIGS. 3A to 3C are views illustrating an electronic device where an
antenna structure is mountable according to various embodiments of
the present disclosure.
FIG. 3A illustrates the front appearance of an electronic device
300, FIG. 3B illustrates the inner configuration of the electronic
device 300, and FIG. 3C illustrates the rear appearance of the
electronic device 300. The electronic device 300 shown in FIGS. 3A
to 3C, for example, may correspond to the electronic device 101 of
FIG. 1 or the electronic device 201 of FIG. 2. According to various
embodiments of the present disclosure, the electronic device 300
may omit at least one of the components shown in FIGS. 3A to 3C or
may additionally include a different component.
Referring to FIG. 3A, the front appearance of the electronic device
300 may include a display 310 and a housing 340.
The display 310 (for example, the display 160 of FIG. 1) according
to various embodiments of the present disclosure may display
various contents (for example, text, image, video, icon, symbol,
and so on). The display 310 may include a touch screen, and for
example, may receive a touch, gesture, proximity, or hovering input
by using an electronic pen or a user's body part.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the display
310 may correspond to a curved display where some display areas are
curved. For example, the display 310 may include a main display
area 310m and curved display areas 310c1 and 310c2 that are
continuously connected to the main display area 310m. The main
display area 310m and the curved display areas 310c1 and 310c2 may
be implemented with one display 310.
The housing 340 according to various embodiments of the present
disclosure may be formed of plastic injections and/or metal
materials in order to protect various components in an electronic
device from external impact or dust. According to various
embodiments of the present disclosure, at least a portion of the
housing 340 may be formed of a metallic material. For example, if a
side housing of the housing 340 is formed of metal, a so-called
metallic bezel may be implemented. According to various embodiments
of the present disclosure, at least a portion of the part
implemented with metal in the housing 340 may be utilized as an
antenna radiator.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the housing
340 (or an external housing) may include a front housing 340f, a
rear housing 340r, an upper-side housing 340us, a bottom-side
housing 340bs, a left-side housing 340ls, and a right-side housing
340rs. In this specification, the rear housing 340r may be referred
to as a first surface and the front housing 340f facing the rear
housing 340r may be referred to as a second surface. At least one
of the upper/bottom/left/right-side housings connecting the rear
housing 340r (or the first surface) and the front housing 340f (or
the second surface) may be referred to as a third surface.
According to various embodiment of the present disclosure,
according to an arrangement position, additional reference numerals
are used for the front housing 340f, the rear housing 340r, the
upper-side housing 340us, the bottom-side housing 340bs, the
left-side housing 340ls, and the right-side housing 340rs. However,
the references numerals do not mean that each constitutes a
separate independent configuration or component. For example, at
least one of the front housing 340f, the rear housing 340r, the
upper-side housing 340us, the bottom-side housing 340bs, the
left-side housing 340ls, and the right-side housing 340rs may be
implemented with one configuration (or material).
For example, when the upper-side housing 340us, the bottom-side
housing 340bs, the left-side housing 340ls, and the right-side
housing 340rs are implemented with one configuration, they may form
a continuous border (or bezel) of the electronic device 300.
According to another example, the rear housing 340r may be
separated from another part of the housing 340. According to
another example, the left/right-side housings 340ls and 340rs and
the front housing 340f may be formed continuously as one
configuration. According to another example, at least one of the
upper/bottom/left/right-side housings and the rear housing 340r may
be formed continuously as one configuration. At this point, a
conductive member configuring at least a portion of the rear
housing 340r may expand to at least a portion of the
upper/bottom/left/right-side housings (or a third surface). In
addition to the examples, each part of the housing 340 may be
implemented with one configuration (or one material) through
various combinations.
According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, in
addition to the main display area 310m, the front housing 340f may
form the front appearance of the electronic device 300. A
user-manipulating physical button (for example, a home button),
various sensors (for example, a proximity sensor), a speaker for
voice call, and a front camera may be disposed at the front housing
340f, for example.
According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the
left/right-side housings 340ls and 340rs housings, together with
the respective curved display areas 310c1 and 310c2, may form the
left/right-side appearances of the electronic device 300.
According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the
upper/bottom-side housings 340us and 340bs may form the
upper/bottom-side appearances of the electronic device 300. For
example, the upper/bottom-side housings 340us and 340bs may include
an interface terminal (for example, a USB terminal and an audio
terminal) for wired connection with an external electronic device
and a user-manipulating physical button (for example, a power
button). The rear housing 340r is described later with reference to
FIG. 3C.
Referring to FIG. 3B, an internal configuration of the electronic
device 300 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is
shown. The electronic device 300 may include various modules shown
in FIG. 3B, and in addition, further include at least part of
various configurations shown in the electronic device 101 of FIG. 1
or the electronic device 201 of FIG. 2.
According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, a
circuit board 320 may include a main circuit board 320m and/or a
sub circuit board 320s. The circuit board 320, for example, may be
implemented with a printed circuit board (PCB) or a flexible
(FPCB). In some embodiments, the circuit board 320 may be referred
to as a main board.
According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the
circuit board 320 may include various circuit configurations and/or
modules of the electronic device 300. For example, a processor 321
(corresponding to the processor 120 of FIG. 1), a memory 322
(corresponding to the memory 130 of FIG. 1), an audio module 323, a
front camera 324, a rear camera 325, a communication module 326
(corresponding to the communication interface 170 of FIG. 1),
and/or a sensor module 327 may be mounted on or electrically
connected to the circuit board 320.
According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, a
battery 330 may convert chemical energy and electrical energy in
both directions. For example, the battery 330 may convert chemical
energy to electrical energy to supply it to various modules mounted
on the circuit board 320 or convert electrical energy supplied from
the outside to chemical energy and store it. For this, the circuit
board 320 may include a power management module for managing a
charging/discharging of the battery 330.
Referring to FIG. 3C, the rear appearance of the electronic device
300 is shown according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
The rear appearance of the electronic device 300, for example, may
include the rear housing 340r and the rear camera 325. Although not
shown in the drawing, for example, various sensors (for example, a
heart rate sensor, an infrared sensor, and so on) may be disposed
in the rear housing 340r.
According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the
rear housing 340r, for example, may be combined with the
upper/bottom/left/right-side housings 340us, 340bs, 340ls, and
340rs shown in FIG. 3A in order to close a space where the circuit
board 320 and the battery 330 are mounted. For example, the rear
housing 340r may be configured as one configuration with the
upper/bottom/left/right-side housings 340us, 340bs, 340ls, and
340rs or may be implemented to be detachable from them. As in the
above, an opening 350 and an opening for the rear camera 325 may be
formed at the rear housing 340r according to various embodiments of
the present disclosure.
According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, at
least a portion of the housing 340 may be formed of a metallic
material. For example, at least a portion of the rear housing 340r
(for example, the first surface) may be formed of a conductive
member. According to various embodiments of the present disclosure,
the opening 350 may be formed as penetrating at least a portion of
the housing 340 formed of the metallic material (or the conductive
member). According to various embodiments of the present
disclosure, the opening 350 may be referred to as a slot. If one
side (or one surface) is open to the outside space or contacts
another nonconductor, it may be referred to as an open slot.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the opening
350, for example, may include a portion extending in a first
direction and a portion extending in a second direction. The first
direction may be substantially perpendicular to the second
direction. Through this, for example, the opening 350 may be formed
in a `T` shape.
The electronic device 300 described above may include an antenna
structure for performing wireless communication and may communicate
with the outside as including the antenna structure. The antenna
structure is described below with reference to FIGS. 4, 5, 6A and
6B, 7A and 7B, and 8 to 15 in relation to the housing 340 of the
electronic device 300.
FIG. 4 is a sectional view of an electronic device where an antenna
structure is mounted according to an embodiment of the present
disclosure.
Referring to FIG. 4, a sectional view of an electronic device 400
according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, for example,
may correspond to a sectional view taken along a line a-a' of the
electronic device 300 shown in FIG. 3B. Description for a
configuration shown in FIG. 4, which corresponds to the
configurations shown in FIGS. 3A to 3C, may be omitted.
A main display area 410m, a circuit board 420, a battery 430, a
bottom-side housing 440bs, a rear housing 440r, and an antenna
radiator 460 are shown in the sectional view of the electronic
device 400 shown in FIG. 4. Although not shown in FIG. 4, in
addition to the configurations, a bracket for physically supporting
various configurations embedded in the electronic device 400 may be
further included therein.
According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, it may
be indicated that "antenna structure" may include the antenna
radiator 460 for transmitting/receiving radio waves in a specified
frequency band, the circuit board 420 including a feeding unit
and/or a ground unit, and at least a portion (for example, a
conductive member of the rear housing 440r) of the rear housing
440r.
According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the
antenna radiator 460 is disposed in the housing to be electrically
connected to the circuit board 420. For example, the antenna
radiator 460 may form an electrical path with the circuit board 420
through a feeding unit 471 and a ground unit 472. The feeding unit
471 and/or the ground unit 472, for example, may be configured
including a pin or a C-clip. The antenna radiator 460, for example,
may be electrically connected to a communication module mounted on
the circuit board 420 through the electrical path. For example, the
communication module may feed power to the antenna radiator 460 in
order to transmit/receive signals in a specified frequency.
According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the
antenna radiator 460 may have various numbers and forms (for
example, lengths, thicknesses, and patterns) according to specified
radio waves. For example, the antenna radiator 460 may be
implemented in an inverted F shape from the arrangement of the
feeding unit 471 and the ground unit 472. An antenna including the
antenna radiator 460 in such a shape may be referred to as a planar
inverted F antenna (PIFA).
According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the
antenna radiator 460 may be provided in plurality in the electronic
device 300 in order to improve directivity. The antenna radiator
460, for example, may be formed through a FPC process, a laser
direct structuring (LDS) process, an in-mold antenna (IMA) process,
or a direct printed antenna (DPA) process. A method of forming the
antenna radiator 460 is not limited to the above. According to
another example, the antenna radiator 460 may be formed by insert
injection or double injection in such a way that the antenna
radiator 460 is exposed or not exposed to the electronic device
400.
In relation to an antenna structure according to various
embodiments of the present disclosure, the circumference portion of
an opening 450 formed at the rear housing 440r may be coupled to
the antenna radiator 460 and used as a portion thereof. According
to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the electronic device
400 may radiate radio waves through the antenna radiator 460
primarily. The radiated radio waves may be delivered to a reception
device through the opening 450.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, at least a
portion of the rear housing 440r may be formed of a conductive
member. For example, the opening 450 may be formed in at least a
portion of the rear housing 440r that is formed of the conductive
member. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, at
least a portion of the opening 450 may be filled with a dielectric
member 480 having a very low conductivity (for example, a
non-conductive material).
According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, as
spaced a predetermined distance apart from the antenna radiator
460, the circumference portion of the opening 450 (for example, a
portion of a conductive member) may be electromagnetically coupled
to the antenna radiator 460. Through this, charges may be induced
at the circumference portion of the opening 450 formed at the rear
housing 440r, and the electronic device 400 may radiate radio waves
through the circumference portion of the opening 450. For another
example, by the coupling between the opening 450 and the antenna
radiator 460, an operating frequency band of radio waves radiated
from the antenna radiator 460 may be changed or an additional
operating frequency may be generated. That is, the opening 450 may
be understood as an extended antenna radiator of the antenna
radiator 460.
FIG. 5 is a view illustrating an electronic device where an antenna
structure is mounted according to an embodiment of the present
disclosure.
Referring to FIG. 5, an electronic device 500 is shown according to
an embodiment of the present disclosure. Description for a
configuration of the electronic device 500 shown in FIG. 5, which
corresponds to the configurations shown in FIGS. 3A to 3C and 4,
may be omitted.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, one side of
the housing of the electronic device 500, for example, at least a
portion of rear housing 540r, may be formed of a conductive member
(for example, a metallic member). An opening 550 may be formed at a
portion formed of a conductive material in the rear housing 540r.
The opening 550 may be filled with a dielectric member 580 that is
a nonconductor in order to prevent the inflow of dust or
liquid.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, in relation
to the rear housing 540r, a peripheral part surrounding the opening
550 may be formed of a conductive member. According to another
embodiment of the present disclosure, the entire rear housing 540r
may be substantially formed of a conductive member. According to
some embodiments of the present disclosure, at least a portion of
the rear housing 540r may be formed of a member of a synthetic
resin coated with a metal.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the opening
550 may include a portion (or a first portion) extending in a first
direction (for example, a horizontal direction of the electronic
device 500) of the electronic device 500 and a portion (or a second
portion) extending in a second direction (for example, a vertical
direction of the electronic device 500). For example, the portion
extending in the second direction may be formed branching from the
portion extending in the first direction, and the first direction
and the second direction may be substantially perpendicular to each
other. Through this, for example, the opening 550 may be formed in
a `T` shape.
For example, the portion extending in the first direction may be
formed not extending to the left/right-side housings of the
electronic device 500. Additionally, for example, the portion
extending in the second direction is formed to extend toward the
upper-side housing or the bottom-side housing of an electronic
device but one side of the portion extending in the second
direction may be open to the outside space or contact a
nonconductor.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the rear
housing 540r may be coupled to at least a portion of the
upper/bottom/left/right of the housing of the electronic device
500. The electronic device 500, for example, may include a circuit
board 520 and an antenna radiator 560 electrically connected to the
circuit board 520 through a feeding unit 571 and/or a ground unit
572.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, when the rear
housing 540r is coupled to the upper/bottom/left/right housings of
the electronic device 500, the opening 550 of the rear housing 540r
may be spaced a specified distance apart from a position
corresponding to the antenna radiator 560. For example, the
specified distance may be set to less than several mm to allow the
circumference of the opening 550 to be electromagnetically coupled
to the antenna radiator 560. Based on the coupling, an operating
frequency band of radio waves radiated from the antenna radiator
560 may be changed or an additional operating frequency may be
generated.
FIG. 6A is a view illustrating a rear housing where an opening is
formed according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
A rear housing 640r where an opening 650 is formed according to an
embodiment of the present disclosure is shown in FIG. 6A.
Description for a configuration shown in FIG. 6A, which corresponds
to the configurations shown in FIGS. 3A to 3C, 4, and 5, may be
omitted.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the opening
650 may be spaced a predetermined distance, apart from a lower end
of the rear housing 640r, for example, a rear camera 625. The
opening 650 may be formed as penetrating the rear housing 640r in a
thickness direction.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the opening
650 may include a first portion 651 and a second portion 652. The
first portion 651 and/or the second portion 652 may be formed in an
oblong shape. For example, the oblong shape may include a form in
which a width direction length is shorter than a longitudinal
direction length (that is, a straight line form).
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the first
portion 651 may be formed of an oblong shape surrounded by a first
boundary 661, a second boundary 662, a third boundary 663, a fourth
boundary 664, a fifth boundary 665, and a joint open boundary 668
with respect to the second portion 652. The first portion 651 may
be formed to align with the length direction of an antenna radiator
at a position corresponding to the antenna radiator embedded in an
electronic device. Alternatively, for example, the first portion
651 may extend to align (or substantially parallel to) with at
least a portion of the antenna radiator.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the second
portion 652 may be formed extending vertically from a portion of
the first portion 651. The second portion 652 may extend toward one
periphery of the rear housing 640r having the opening 650 formed,
from a portion of the first portion 651. According to an embodiment
of the present disclosure, when a portion of the rear housing 640r
is formed of a conductive member, the one periphery may correspond
to a boundary side of a portion formed of a conductive member and a
portion formed of a non-conductive member other than that in the
rear housing 640r.
Alternatively, for example, the second portion 652 may be formed in
an oblong shape surrounded by the joint open boundary 668 with
respect to the first portion 651, a sixth boundary 666, a open
boundary 669 with respect to the outside space, and a seventh
boundary 667. The second portion 652 may be connected (or
communicated) to the first portion 651 through the joint open
boundary 668 with respect to the first portion 651 but may be
formed in a direction that forms a specified angle (for example, 90
degrees) with respect to the length direction of an antenna
radiator.
According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the
length direction of an antenna radiator may mean a direction in
which a relatively long portion of the antenna radiator extends in
appearance as the antenna radiator disposed inside an electronic
device is formed with various patterns. For example, when an
antenna radiator is substantially formed in an "F" form, the length
direction may correspond to an extension direction of a relatively
long line that branches two relatively short lines in "F."
For another example, referring to FIG. 5, the length direction of
the antenna radiator may correspond to a direction in which a
relatively long portion extends in terms of the form of a
corresponding antenna radiator. This, for example, may correspond
to the width direction of the electronic device 500 when the
electronic device 500 operates in portrait mode.
Referring to FIG. 6A, the length direction of an antenna radiator
embedded in an electronic device may correspond to the extension
direction of the first portion 651, that is, the extension
direction (hereinafter referred to as a length direction) of the
first surface 661, the fourth surface 664, or the fifth surface
665, all of which surround the first portion 651.
According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the
case that the first portion 651 is formed to align with the length
direction of an antenna radiator may include the case that the
length direction of the first portion 651 and the length direction
of the antenna radiator are substantially aligned with each other
or intersect at a specified angle (for example, 10 degrees).
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, at least a
portion of the circumference of the opening 650 may include an
electrical open curve. For example, since it is possible that all
or a portion of the rear housing 640r of FIG. 6A is formed of a
conductive member, an electrical open curve may be formed in a
portion of the entire circumference (for example, the first
boundary 661 to the seventh boundary 667 and the open boundary 669)
of the opening 650.
For example, the electrical open curve may be formed in the first
surface 661 to the seventh boundary 667 in the entire circumference
of the opening 650. The length l (which equals the sum of lengths
of the first surface 661 to the seventh boundary 667) of the
electrical open curve is determined by the following Equation 1
based on a specified radio wave.
.lamda..times..times..times..times..times..times..times..times..times..ti-
mes. ##EQU00001##
At this point, `l` represents the length of an electrical open
curve, `.lamda.` represents the wavelength of a radio wave, `c`
represents the speed of light, and `f` represents the operating
frequency of a radio wave. For example, when an electronic device
performs wireless mobile communication at a frequency of 2 GHz, the
length l of the electrical open curve may be set to 3.75
cm=3*10^8/(4*2*10^9). If the circumference of the opening 650 forms
an electrical closed curve, the (circumference) length of the
electrical closed curve should be .lamda./2. According to various
embodiments of the present disclosure, as at least a portion of the
circumference of the opening 650 includes an electrical open curve,
that is, one side of the opening 650 is open, the same resonance
frequency may be formed only with a length of .lamda./4.
Accordingly, in comparison to a case of forming an electrical
closed curve, the size of an opening may be further minimized.
FIG. 6B is a view illustrating a rear housing where an opening is
formed according to various embodiments of the present
disclosure.
Referring to FIG. 6B, rear housings 640ra, 640rb, 640rc, 640rd,
640re, and 640rf according various embodiments of the present
disclosure are shown. Although it is described with reference to
FIG. 6B that openings 650a, 650b, 650c, 650d, 650e, and 650f are
respectively formed at the rear housings 640ra, 640rb, 640rc,
640rd, 640re, and 640rf of an electronic device, the forms and
positions of the openings 650a, 650b, 650c, 650d, 650e, and 650f
may be limited to the example of FIG. 6B. Since the length of an
electrical open curve formed at a portion of the circumferences of
the openings 650a, 650b, 650c, 650d, 650e, and 650f is only
required to have a length required by a resonance frequency,
various applications examples are possible.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the opening
650a may be formed at a lower end of the rear housing 640ra. The
opening 650a may include a first portion 651a and a second portion
652a connected to the first portion 651a.
According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the
first portion 651a may be formed substantially aligned with the
length direction of an antenna radiator or intersecting less than a
predetermined angle (for example, 10 degrees), at a position
corresponding to the antenna radiator embedded in an electronic
device.
According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the
first portion 651a may be formed not to extend toward the
left/right-side housings of an electronic device. For example, the
first portion 651a may not be deviated from the rear housing 640ra.
Since it is possible that the first portion 651a of the electronic
device does not extend toward the left/right-side housings of the
electronic device, antenna performance deterioration (that is,
performance deterioration influence (for example, hand effect)
during hand grip, and a drastic performance deterioration
phenomenon occurring when a hand contacts a specific area of a
death-grip antenna), which may occur according to a user's grip
position, may be prevented.
According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, one
side of the second portion 652a may be connected (or communicated)
to the first portion 651a. For example, as the second portion 652a
is formed in a direction that forms 90 degrees with respect to the
first portion 651a, the first portion 651a and the second portion
651b may form a `T` shape.
According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, as the
opening 650a is formed in the rear housing 640ra, the antenna
radiation pattern may be oriented toward the rear of the electronic
device. Therefore, since an existing antenna radiation pattern
oriented toward the direction of the front (that is, a side
including a main display area) of an electronic device is moved to
the rear, a performance deterioration phenomenon due to body
influence may be prevented.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a plurality
of openings, which are used as an antenna radiator, may be formed
at the rear housing 640rb. For example, an opening 650b1 and an
opening 650b2 may be respectively formed at an upper end and a
lower end of the rear housing 640rb. The upper end opening 650b1
and the lower end opening 650b2 may include first portions 651b1
and 651b2, and second portions 652b1 and 652b2 that are
respectively connected to the first portions 651b1 and 651b2.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the openings
650b1 and 650b2, for example, may be formed at positions
corresponding to respective different antenna radiators. The
circumferences of the openings 650b1 and 650b2 may be
electromagnetically coupled to corresponding respective antenna
radiators. According to one example, each of the antenna radiators
may be functionally connected to a communication module using a
different operating frequency.
For example, the opening 650b1 may be spaced a predetermined
distance to be coupled to an antenna radiator functionally
connected to a Wi-Fi module. The opening 650b2 may be spaced a
predetermined distance to be coupled to an antenna radiator
functionally connected to a cellular module (for example, a 3rd
generation (3G)/4th generation (4G) communication module).
According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, antenna
radiators coupled to the openings 650b1 and 650b2 may be
functionally connected to various types of communication modules
such as a BT module, a GPS module, and so on in addition to a Wi-Fi
module and a cellular module.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the opening
650c including a first portion 651c and a second portion 652c may
be formed at the rear housing 640rc.
According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the
first portion 651c may be formed to substantially align with the
length direction of an antenna radiator, or intersecting less than
a predetermined angle (for example, 10 degrees), at a position
corresponding to the antenna radiator embedded in an electronic
device.
According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the
second portion 652c may be connected (or communicated) to the first
portion 651c but may be formed in a direction that forms a
specified angle (for example, 60 degrees) with respect to the
length direction of an antenna radiator. If the long side of the
first portion 651c is substantially aligned with the length
direction of an antenna radiator, the long side of the second
portion 652c may form the specified angle with respect to the long
side of the first portion 651c. That is, since the first portion
651c and the second portion 652c are disposed on the rear housing
640r, they may not be connected (or communicated) to each other
vertically.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the opening
650d including a first portion 651d and a second portion 652d may
be formed at the rear housing 640rd.
In relation to an internal configuration of an electronic device
according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, an antenna
radiator may extend in the length direction of the electronic
device (that is, the long side direction of the electronic device
when the electronic device operates in portrait mode).
At this point, the first portion 651d may be formed to align with
the length direction of the antenna radiator at a position
corresponding to the antenna radiator. According to an embodiment
of the present disclosure, the second portion 652d may be connected
(or communicated) to the first portion 651d but may be formed in
the length direction of an antenna radiator or in a direction that
forms a specified angle (for example, 60 degrees, 90 degrees, and
so on) with respect to the length direction of the first portion
651d. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the
second portion 652d may be formed to extend toward one periphery
(for example, one periphery coupled to the right-side housing) of
the rear housing 640d.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the opening
650e including a first portion 651e and a second portion 652e may
be formed at the rear housing 640re. According to another
embodiment of the present disclosure, the opening 650f including a
first portion 651f and a second portion 652f may be formed at the
rear housing 640rf.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the first
portions 651e and 651f and the second portions 652e and 652f may be
formed in an oblong shape in which the length of each side is
greater than a predetermined length. However, in this case, the
length of a portion forming an electrical open curve in the
circumferences of the opening parts 650e and 650f may be set to an
operating frequency based length.
FIGS. 7A and 7B are views illustrating an electronic device where
an opening is formed according to various embodiments of the
present disclosure.
An opening according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may
be formed in a rear housing as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B but may be
formed in a side housing or a front housing of an electronic
device. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, an
opening may be formed over a housing with a plurality of sides of
an electronic device.
Referring to FIG. 7A, an electronic device is shown according to an
embodiment of the present disclosure. As part of a housing that
surrounds an electronic device 700a, a rear housing 740ra, a
right-side housing 740rsa, and a bottom-side housing 740bsa are
shown in FIG. 7A. According to various embodiments of the present
disclosure, including the rear housing 740ra, the right-side
housing 740rsa, and the bottom-side housing 740bsa, a great portion
of the housing of the electronic device 700a may be implemented
with one configuration by using a conductive member.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, an opening
750a may be formed over the rear housing 740ra and the bottom-side
housing 740bsa. For example, a first portion 751a of the opening
750a may be formed at a lower end part of the rear housing 740ra.
In relation to the rear housing 740ra, the first portion 751a may
be formed at a position corresponding to an antenna radiator
embedded in the electronic device 700a. For example, the length
direction of the first portion 751a may correspond to the length
direction of the antenna radiator. The circumference of the first
portion 751a may be spaced a specified distance to be
electromagnetically coupled to the antenna radiator.
For example, a second portion 752a of the opening 750a may be
connected (or communicated) to the first portion 751a but may be
formed to extend toward the bottom-side housing 740bsa from the
rear housing 740ra. At this point, one side of the second portion
752a may be opened to the outside space or contact a non-conductive
member included in a front housing (not shown). According to
another embodiment of the present disclosure, one side of the
second portion 752a may be opened to the outside space as
contacting an interface terminal (for example, a USB terminal)
formed in the bottom-side housing 740bsa.
Referring to FIG. 7B, an electronic device 700b according to
another embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. As part of a
housing that surrounds the electronic device 700b, an upper-side
housing 740usb, a left-side housing 740lsb, and a rear housing
740rb are shown in FIG. 7B. For example, a side housing including
the upper-side housing 740usb and the left-side housing 741lsb may
be implemented with one configuration by using a conductive
material (that is, a metal bezel). Moreover, the rear housing 740rb
of the electronic device 700b may be implemented with a
non-conductive member.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, an opening
750b may be formed at the upper-side housing 740ub. For example, a
first portion 751b of the opening 750b may be formed at the
upper-side housing 740usb but may be formed at a position
corresponding to an antenna radiator embedded in the electronic
device 700b. For example, the length direction of the first portion
751b may correspond to the length direction of the antenna
radiator. The circumference of the first portion 751b may be spaced
a specified distance to be electromagnetically coupled to the
antenna radiator.
For example, a second portion 752b of the opening 750b may be
connected (or communicated) to the first portion 751b on the
upper-side housing 740usb. At this point, one side of the second
portion 752b may be opened to the outside space or contact a
non-conductive member included in a front housing (not shown).
In general, when the housing of a metallic material is used, due to
the electromagnetic shield, the antenna radiation performance of an
electronic device may be greatly reduced or impossible. In relation
to this, by an antenna structure and an electronic device including
the same according to various embodiments of the present
disclosure, through an opening with an open one side, the radiation
performance (for example, the bandwidth expansion of an operating
frequency, the acquisition of an additional operating frequency,
and so on) of an antenna may be improved.
By an antenna structure and an electronic device including the same
according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, since
it is possible that one side of the opening is opened, the
circumference of the opening may include an electrical open curve.
As the circumference of the opening includes an electrical open
curve, the length of the electrical open curve may be enough when
it is 1/4 of the wavelength of an operating radio wave.
Accordingly, in comparison to the case of an electrical closed
curve, the electrical closed curve requires the length of 1/2 of
the wavelength of an operating wave radio. Furthermore, since it is
possible that the circumference of an open curve becomes shorter,
more advanced design language may be provided.
By an antenna structure and an electronic device including the same
according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, an
internal antenna radiator and the circumference of an opening may
be coupled to each other electromagnetically. Accordingly, a
connection member (for example, a C-clip) for electrically
connecting an internal antenna radiator and the circumference of an
opening may become unnecessary and furthermore, an
inductive/capacitive component for coupling them additionally may
also become unnecessary.
FIG. 8 is a view illustrating a relationship between a frequency by
an operation of an electronic device and a reflection coefficient
according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
Referring to FIG. 8, reflection coefficient graphs according to
frequency are shown schematically. In the reflection coefficient
graphs, for example, a curve 801 may represent a reflection
coefficient curve before the rear housing 540r of FIG. 5 is coupled
to the electronic device 500 and a curve 802 may represent a
reflection coefficient curve after the rear housing 540r is coupled
to the electronic device 500. For convenience of description, in
describing FIG. 8, the reference numerals of FIG. 5 are used
together.
Referring to the curve 801, an antenna of the electronic device 500
according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may represent
a low reflection coefficient at a low frequency band 811 (for
example, 824 MHz and 890 MHz bands) and a high frequency band 812
(for example, 2.49 GHz and 2.69 GHz bands). For example, when the
rear housing 540r is not coupled to the electronic device 500, an
antenna included in the electronic device 500 may resonate in the
low frequency band 811 and the high frequency band 812.
According to various embodiments of the present disclosure,
referring to the curve 802, an antenna of the electronic device 500
may represent a low reflection coefficient at a low frequency band
821 (for example, 824 MHz and 890 MHz bands), an intermediate
frequency band 822 (for example, 1.71 GHz, 1.85 GHz, 1.99 GHz, and
2.11 GHz bands) and a high frequency band 823 (for example, 2.49
GHz and 2.69 GHz bands). For example, when the rear housing 540r is
coupled to the electronic device 500, an antenna of the electronic
device 500 may resonate in the low frequency band 821, the
intermediate frequency band 822, and the high frequency band
823.
According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, in the
case that the curve 801 and the curve 802 are compared, when the
rear housing 540r is coupled to the electronic device 500 (in the
case of the curve 802), unlike previous coupling (in the case of
the curve 801), it may be checked that an additional resonance is
obtained in an intermediate frequency band and a high frequency
band. That is, in the intermediate frequency band and the high
frequency band, a bandwidth of an actual operating frequency may be
expanded. This may be understood as a result obtained by coupling
between the opening 550 formed at the rear housing 540r and the
antenna radiator 560.
FIG. 9 is a view illustrating a relationship between a frequency by
a simulation operation of an electronic device and a reflection
coefficient according to an embodiment of the present
disclosure.
Referring to FIG. 9, a reflection coefficient graph (for example, a
curve 900) according to a frequency derived through simulation is
shown. Referring to the curve 900, when a frequency is 800 MHz (for
example, a point 901), a reflection coefficient represents -9.233
dB; when a frequency is 1.65 GHz (for example, a point 902), a
reflection coefficient represents -20.018 dB; when a frequency is
2.02 GHz (for example, a point 903), a reflection coefficient
represents -9.324 dB; when a frequency is 2.27 GHz (for example, a
point 904), a reflection coefficient represents -3.907 dB; and when
a frequency is 2.97 GHz (for example, a point 905), a reflection
coefficient represents -15.458 dB.
According to various embodiments of the present disclosure,
referring to the curve 900, it may be checked that improved antenna
radiation efficiency is achieved in the low frequency band 821 (for
example, 800 MHz to 900 MHz bands), the intermediate frequency band
822 (for example, 1.6 GHz to 2.2 GHz bands) and the high frequency
band 823 (for example, 2.4 GHz to 3.0 GHz bands).
FIGS. 10A to 10C are views illustrating an HFSS simulation of an
electronic device where an antenna structure is mounted according
to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
Referring to FIGS. 10A to 10C, a result obtained when current
density HFSS simulation is performed on electronic devices 1011,
1012, and 1013 is shown according to an embodiment of the present
disclosure. For example, each of the electronic devices 1011, 1012,
and 1013 may correspond to the electronic device 500 coupled to the
rear housing 540r of FIG. 5.
The HFSS simulation result of the electronic device 1011 of FIG.
10A, for example, represents a current density (A/m2) when the
electronic device 1011 operates at 800 MHz (for example, the point
901 of FIG. 9), and the HFSS simulation result of the electronic
device 1012 of FIG. 10B represents a current density when the
electronic device 1012 operates at 1.65 GHz (for example, the point
902 of FIG. 9). The HFSS simulation result of the electronic device
1013 of FIG. 10C represents a current density when the electronic
device 1012 operates at 2.02 GHz (for example, the point 903 of
FIG. 9).
According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, in
relation to each HFSS simulation result (for example, current
distribution), a high current density area is displayed with dark
color and an area other than that is displayed with light color.
The radiation of a radio wave may occur actually in a high current
density area.
According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, in
relation to the HFSS simulation result of the electronic device
1011 of FIG. 10A, the electronic device 1011 may operate at a
relatively low frequency (for example, 800 MHz). In this case, a
current density may be detected high at an antenna radiator 1061
and a current density is detected very low at the circumference of
an opening 1051 formed at a rear housing 1041r. That is, when the
electronic device 1011 operates at a relatively low frequency (for
example, 800 MHz), resonance may be mainly made at the antenna
radiator 1061.
According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, in
relation to the HFSS simulation result of the electronic device
1012 of FIG. 10B, the electronic device 1012 may operate at an
intermediate frequency (for example, 1.65 GHz). In this case, a
current density may be detected high at the circumference of an
opening 1052 formed at a rear housing 1042r and a current density
is detected relatively low at an antenna radiator 1062. That is,
when the electronic device 1012 operates at an intermediate
frequency (for example, 1.65 GHz), resonance may be mainly made at
the circumference of the opening 1052 formed at the rear housing
1042r.
According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, in
relation to the HFSS simulation result of the electronic device
1013 of FIG. 10C, the electronic device 1013 may operate at a
relatively high frequency (for example, 2.02 GHz). In this case, a
current density may be detected high at the antenna radiator 1063
and is detected relatively low at the circumference of an opening
1053 formed at a rear housing 1043r. That is, when the electronic
device 1013 operates at a relatively high frequency (for example,
2.02 GHz), resonance may be mainly made at the antenna radiator
1063.
According to the HFSS simulations of FIGS. 10A to 10C, the
circumference of an opening formed at a rear housing is
electromagnetically coupled to an antenna radiator to perform a
similar role to the antenna radiator. For example, due to a `T`
shaped opening formed at the rear housing, a bandwidth may be
expanded at an intermediate frequency band (for, example, about
1.65 GHz).
FIG. 11 is a view illustrating an electronic device where an
antenna structure is applied according to an embodiment of the
present disclosure.
Referring to FIG. 11, an electronic device 1100, for example, may
correspond to the electronic device 101 of FIG. 1, the electronic
device 201 of FIG. 2, or the electronic device 300 of FIGS. 3A to
3C. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a portion
of the housing of the electronic device 1100 may be formed of a
conductive member. For example, a rear housing 1140r formed of a
conductive member may be coupled to the rear of the electronic
device 1100. An antenna radiator for wireless communication may be
disposed in the electronic device 1100.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, an opening
1150 may be formed at a lower end of the rear housing 1140r. In
relation to the inside of the electronic device 1100, an antenna
radiator may be disposed at a position corresponding to the opening
1150, and the circumference of the opening 1150 and the antenna
radiator may be coupled to each other electrically.
For example, the opening 1150 may include a portion (or a first
portion) extending in a first direction (for example, a horizontal
direction of the electronic device 1100) of the electronic device
1100 and a portion (or a second portion) extending in a second
direction (for example, a vertical direction of the electronic
device 1100). For example, the portion extending in the second
direction may be formed branching from the portion extending in the
first direction, and the first direction and the second direction
may be substantially perpendicular to each other. Through this, for
example, the opening 1150 may be formed in a `T` shape.
For example, the portion extending in the first direction may be
formed not extending toward the left/right-side housings of the
electronic device 1100. Additionally, for example, the portion
extending in the second direction is formed to extend toward the
bottom-side housing of an electronic device but one side of the
portion extending in the second direction may be open to an
interface terminal 1160.
FIG. 12 is a view illustrating a radiation efficiency and a
reflection coefficient by an operation of an electronic device
according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
Referring to FIG. 12, a radiation efficiency and a reflection
coefficient by an operation of an electronic device are shown
according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. For example,
each of curves 1211 and 1221 represents a radiation efficiency and
a reflection coefficient before the rear housing 1140r formed of a
conductive member is coupled to the electronic device 1100 of FIG.
11. Additionally, for example, each of curves 1212 and 1222
represents a radiation efficiency and a reflection coefficient
after the rear housing 1140r is coupled to the electronic device
1100 of FIG. 11.
Referring to the curves 1212 and 1222, in a low frequency band (for
example, approximately around 850 MHz), by comparing the curves
1211 and 1221, it is checked that radiation efficiency is similar
but a reflection coefficient is improved. Additionally, in an
intermediate frequency band (for example, approximately 1.5 GHz to
2.0 GHz bands), by comparing the curves 1211 and 1221, it is
checked that a frequency band is expanded. In a high frequency band
(for example, 2.1 GHz to 2.4 GHz bands), it is checked that
radiation efficiency is improved.
FIG. 13 is a view illustrating an electronic device where an
antenna structure is applied according to another embodiment of the
present disclosure.
Referring to FIG. 13, an electronic device 1300, for example, may
correspond to the electronic device 101 of FIG. 1, the electronic
device 201 of FIG. 2, or the electronic device 300 of FIGS. 3A to
3C. For another example, the electronic device 1300 may correspond
to the electronic device 1100 of FIG. 11. If the electronic device
1300 of FIG. 13 corresponds to the electronic device 1100 of FIG.
11, an opening may be formed at a plurality of positions.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a rear
housing 1340r formed of a conductive member may be coupled to the
rear of the electronic device 1300. According to an embodiment of
the present disclosure, an opening 1350 may be formed at an upper
end of the rear housing 1340r. For example, in relation to the
inside of the electronic device 1300, at least one radiator may be
disposed at a position corresponding to the opening 1350. The
circumference of the opening 1350 and the antenna radiator may be
electrically coupled to each other.
For example, the at least one antenna radiator may include a first
Wi-Fi radiator (Wi-Fi1) 1361, a second Wi-Fi radiator (Wi-Fi2)
1362, and/or an LTE/GPS radiator (LTE/GPS) 1363. A multiple-input
multiple-output (MIMO) antenna may be implemented by the at least
one antenna radiator.
FIG. 14 is a view illustrating a radiation efficiency and a
reflection coefficient by an operation of an electronic device
according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.
Referring to FIG. 14, a radiation efficiency graph (for example, a
curve 1401) and a reflection coefficient graph (for example, a
curve 1402) of the second LTE/GPS radiator (LTE/GPS) shown in FIG.
13 are shown.
Referring to the curve 1401, it is checked that the performance of
radiation efficiency is improved in a low frequency band
(approximately around 850 MHz), an intermediate frequency band
(approximately 1.5 GHz to 2.0 GHz bands) and a high frequency band
(approximately 2.1 GHz to 2.4 GHz bands). Additionally, referring
to the curve 1402, it is checked that the reflection coefficient is
improved in a low frequency band (approximately around 850 MHz), an
intermediate frequency band (approximately about 1.55 GHz) and a
high frequency band (approximately about 2.77 GHz).
FIG. 15 is a view illustrating a radiation efficiency and a
reflection coefficient by an operation of an electronic device
according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.
Referring to FIG. 15, a radiation efficiency graph (for example,
curves 1511 and 1521) and a reflection coefficient graph (for
example, curves 1512 and 1522) by a Wi-Fi MIMO antenna radiator are
shown. The Wi-Fi MIMO antenna radiator, for example, may be
configured with the first Wi-Fi radiator Wi-Fi1 and the second
Wi-Fi radiator Wi-Fi2 shown in FIG. 13.
For example, the curve 1511 and the curve 1512 may correspond to a
radiation efficiency graph and a reflection coefficient graph of
the first Wi-Fi radiator Wi-Fi1, respectively. For example, the
curve 1521 and the curve 1522 may correspond to a radiation
efficiency graph and a reflection coefficient graph of the second
Wi-Fi radiator Wi-Fi2, respectively.
According to the curve 1511 and the curve 1512, it is checked that
the first Wi-Fi radiator Wi-Fi1 and the second Wi-Fi radiator
Wi-Fi2 show high radiation efficiency in 2.1 GHz, 2.4 GHz, 5.0 GHz,
and 5.7 GHz bands. According to the curve 1512 and the curve 1522,
it is checked that in relation to the first Wi-Fi radiator Wi-Fi1
and the second Wi-Fi radiator Wi-Fi2, a reflection coefficient is
improved in 2.6 GHz and 5.7 GHz bands and a frequency band is
expanded.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, an electronic
device may include a housing and an antenna radiator disposed in
the housing. An opening may be formed in the housing. The opening
may be formed to align with the length direction of the antenna
radiator at a position corresponding to the antenna radiator, and
may include a first portion that penetrates the housing in the
thickness direction, and a second portion that is connected to the
first portion and is formed in a direction forming a specified
angle with respect to the length direction of the antenna radiator
and penetrates the housing in the thickness direction. At least a
portion of the housing, which surrounds the opening, may be formed
of a conductive member and at least a portion of the circumference
of the opening may include an electrical open curve.
In relation to an electronic device according to another embodiment
of the present disclosure, the opening may be at least formed in
the rear housing of the electronic device.
In relation to an electronic device according to another embodiment
of the present disclosure, at least one of the first portion and
the second portion may be formed in an oblong shape.
In relation to an electronic device according to another embodiment
of the present disclosure, the first portion may be formed to not
extend toward the left/right-side housing of the electronic device.
That is the first portion is formed in a one of a rear housing, an
upper-side housing, and bottom-side housing.
In relation to an electronic device according to another embodiment
of the present disclosure, the second portion may be formed to
extend toward one of the upper-side housing and the bottom-side
housing of the electronic device.
In relation to an electronic device according to another embodiment
of the present disclosure, the second portion may be formed to
extend toward one periphery of the housing of the electronic
device.
In relation to an electronic device according to another embodiment
of the present disclosure, when one end of the second portion is
connected to the first portion and the second portion is formed in
a direction that forms 90 degrees with respect to the first
portion, the first portion and the second portion may together form
a T shape.
In relation to an electronic device according to another embodiment
of the present disclosure, the antenna radiator may be spaced a
specified distance apart from the opening of the housing, and at
least a portion of the housing, which is formed of the conductive
member, may be electromagnetically coupled to the antenna radiator
at the circumference of the opening.
In relation to an electronic device according to another embodiment
of the present disclosure, the length of the electrical open curve
may be determined based on a specified wavelength.
In relation to an electronic device according to another embodiment
of the present disclosure, the opening may be filled with a
dielectric member.
An electronic device according to an embodiment of the present
disclosure may include an external housing that includes a first
surface and a second surface facing the opposite direction of the
first surface, a conductive member that forms at least a portion of
the first surface of the external housing, an antenna radiator that
is disposed in the external housing and spaced apart from the
conductive member, and an opening that is formed by penetrating at
least a portion of the conductive member. The opening may include a
first portion that is configured to substantially align with at
least a portion of the antenna radiator and a second portion
configured to be substantially perpendicular to the first portion.
The second portion may extend from a portion of the first portion
toward the vicinity (e.g., adjacency) of one of one side of the
conductive member.
In relation to an electronic device according to another embodiment
of the present disclosure, the opening may include a T shape.
In relation to an electronic device according to another embodiment
of the present disclosure, a non-conductive material for filling at
least a portion of the opening may be further included.
In relation to an electronic device according to another embodiment
of the present disclosure, the conductive member may be disposed
above a battery which is mounted in the external housing.
In relation to an electronic device according to another embodiment
of the present disclosure, the external housing further includes a
third surface interposed between the first surface and the second
surface, and at least a portion of a display may be disposed at the
third surface of the external housing.
In relation to an electronic device according to another embodiment
of the present disclosure, at least a portion of a display may be
disposed on at least a portion of the first surface of the external
housing.
In relation to an electronic device according to another embodiment
of the present disclosure, the display may be configured to pass
the extended third surface to a location between the first surface
and the second surface, from the second surface, of the external
housing and connect to at least a portion of the first surface.
In relation to an electronic device according to another embodiment
of the present disclosure, the conductive member may extend from at
least a portion of the first surface of the external housing to at
least a portion of the third surface.
An electronic device according to another embodiment of the present
disclosure may further include another opening formed by
penetrating at least another portion of the conductive member, and
at least one electronic component mounted in the housing may be
exposed to the outside through the another opening.
In relation to an electronic device according to another embodiment
of the present disclosure, the antenna radiator may form at least a
portion of an inverted-F antenna.
FIG. 16 is a block diagram illustrating a program module according
to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
Referring to FIG. 16, a program module 1610 (for example, the
program 140) may include an OS for controlling a resource relating
to an electronic device (for example, the electronic device 101)
and/or various applications (for example, the application 147)
running on the OS. The OS, for example, may include android, iOS,
windows, symbian, tizen, or bada.
The program module 1610 may include a kernel 1620, a middleware
1630, an API 1660, and/or an application 1670. At least part of the
program module 1610 may be preloaded on an electronic device or may
be downloaded from an external electronic device (for example, the
first or second external electronic device 102 or 104 or the server
106).
The kernel 1620 (for example, the kernel 141), for example, may
include a system resource manager 1621 and/or a device driver 1623.
The system resource manager 1621 may perform the control,
allocation, or retrieval of a system resource. According to an
embodiment of the disclosure, the system resource manager 1621 may
include a process management unit, a memory management unit, or a
file system management unit. The device driver 1623, for example,
may include a display driver, a camera driver, a BT driver, a
sharing memory driver, a USB driver, a keypad driver, a Wi-Fi
driver, an audio driver, or an inter-process communication (IPC)
driver.
The middleware 1630, for example, may provide a function that the
application 1670 requires commonly, or may provide various
functions to the application 1670 through the API 1660 in order to
allow the application 1670 to efficiently use a limited system
resource inside the electronic device. According to an embodiment,
the middleware 1630 (for example, the middleware 143) may include
at least one of a runtime library 1635, an application manager
1641, a window manager 1642, a multimedia manager 1643, a resource
manager 1644, a power manager 1645, a database manager 1646, a
package manager 1647, a connectivity manager 1648, a notification
manager 1649, a location manager 1650, a graphic manager 1651, a
security manager 1652, and a payment manager 1654.
The runtime library 1635, for example, may include a library module
that a complier uses to add a new function through a programming
language while the application 1670 is running. The runtime library
1635 may perform a function on input/output management, memory
management, or an arithmetic function.
The application manager 1641, for example, may mange the life cycle
of at least one application among the application 1670. The window
manager 1642 may manage a GUI resource used in a screen. The
multimedia manager 1643 may recognize a format for playing various
media files and may encode or decode a media file by using the
codec corresponding to a corresponding format. The resource manager
1644 may manage a resource such as a source code, a memory, or a
storage space of at least any one of the application 1670.
The power manager 1645, for example, may operate together with a
basic input/output system (BIOS) to manage the battery or power and
may provide power information necessary for an operation of the
electronic device. The database manager 1646 may generate, search,
or modify a database used in at least one application among the
application 1670. The package manager 1647 may manage the
installation or update of an application distributed in a package
file format.
The connectivity manger 1648 may manage a wireless connection such
as Wi-Fi or BT. The notification manager 1649 may display or notify
an event such as arrival messages, appointments, and proximity
alerts to a user in a manner of not interrupting the user. The
location manager 1650 may manage location information on an
electronic device. The graphic manager 1651 may manage a graphic
effect to be provided to a user or a user interface relating
thereto. The security manager 1652 may provide various security
functions necessary for system security or user authentication.
According to an embodiment, when an electronic device (for example,
the electronic device 101) includes a phone function, the
middleware 1630 may further include a telephony manager for
managing a voice or video call function of the electronic
device.
The middleware 1630 may include a middleware module forming a
combination of various functions of the above-mentioned components.
The middleware 1630 may provide a module specialized for each type
of OS to provide differentiated functions. Additionally, the
middleware 1630 may delete part of existing components or add new
components dynamically.
The API 1660 (for example, the API 145), for example, as a set of
API programming functions, may be provided as another configuration
according to OS. For example, in the case of android or iOS, one
API set may be provided for each platform and in the case Tizen, at
least two API sets may be provided for each platform.
The application 1670 (for example, the application 147) may include
at least one application for providing functions such as a home
1671, a dialer 1672, an short message service (SMS)/multimedia
messaging service (MMS) 1673, an instant message (IM) 1674, a
browser 1675, a camera 1676, an alarm 1677, a contact 1678, a voice
dial 1679, an e-mail 1680, a calendar 1681, a media player 1682, an
album 1683, a clock 1684, a payment 1685, a health care provision
(for example, measure an exercise amount or blood sugar) (not
shown), and an environmental information provision (for example,
provide air pressure, humidity, or temperature information) (not
shown).
According to an embodiment, the application 1670 may include an
application (hereinafter referred to as "information exchange
application") for supporting information exchange between the
electronic device (for example, the electronic device 101) and an
external electronic device (for example, the first or second
external electronic device 102 or 104). The information exchange
application, for example, may include a notification relay
application for relaying specific information to the external
device or a device management application for managing the external
electronic device.
For example, the notification relay application may have a function
for relaying to an external electronic device (for example, first
and second external electronic devices 102 and 104) notification
information occurring from another application (for example, an
SMS/MMS application, an e-mail application, a health care
application, or an environmental information application) of the
electronic device. Additionally, the notification relay application
may receive notification information from an external electronic
device and may then provide the received notification information
to a user.
The device management application, for example, may manage (for
example, install, delete, or update) at least one function
(turn-on/turn off of the external electronic device itself (or some
components) or the brightness (or resolution) adjustment of a
display) of an external electronic device (for example, the first
and second external electronic devices 102 and 104) communicating
with the electronic device, an application operating in the
external electronic device, or a service (for example, call service
or message service) provided from the external device.
According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the application 1670
may include a specified application (for example, a health care
application of a mobile medical device) according to the property
of an external electronic device (for example, the first or second
external electronic device 102 or 104). According to an embodiment,
the application 1670 may include an application received from an
external electronic device (for example, the server 106 or the
first or second external electronic device 102 or 104). According
to an embodiment of the disclosure, the application 1670 may
include a preloaded application or a third party application
downloadable from a server. The names of components in the program
module 1610 according to the shown embodiment may vary depending on
the type of OS.
According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, at
least part of the program module 1610 may be implemented with
software, firmware, hardware, or a combination thereof. At least
part of the program module 1610, for example, may be implemented
(for example, executed) by a processor (for example, the processor
210). At least part of the program module 1610 may include a
module, a program, a routine, sets of instructions, or a process to
perform at least one function, for example.
By an antenna structure and an electronic device including the same
according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, as at
least a portion of an opening opened to the outside is formed at a
housing, even if a housing formed of a conductive member is
adopted, antenna radiation performance may be obtained.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, since it is
possible that a portion of the opening formed at the housing is
opened to the outside, the circumference of the opening may include
an electrical open curve. At this point, since it is possible that
the length of the electrical open curve is enough when it is 1/4 of
the wavelength of an operating radio wave, in comparison to an
electrical closed curve that requires the length of 1/2 of the
wavelength of an operating radio wave, the size of an opening may
be further minimized.
Effects obtainable from various embodiments of the present
disclosure are not limited to the above-mentioned effects, and
other effects not mentioned above may be clearly derived and
understood to those skilled in the art from the following
description.
The term "module" used in various embodiments of the present
disclosure, for example, may mean a unit including a combination of
at least one of hardware, software, and firmware. The term "module"
and the term "unit," "logic," "logical block," "component," or
"circuit" may be interchangeably used. A "module" may be a minimum
unit or part of an integrally configured component. A "module" may
be a minimum unit performing at least one function or part thereof.
A "module" may be implemented mechanically or electronically. For
example, "module" according to various embodiments of the present
disclosure may include at least one of an application-specific
integrated circuit (ASIC) chip performing certain operations,
field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or a programmable-logic
device, all of which are known or to be developed in the
future.
According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, at
least part of a device (for example, modules or functions thereof)
or a method (for example, operations) according to this disclosure,
for example, as in a form of a programming module, may be
implemented using an instruction stored in computer-readable
storage media. When at least one processor (for example, the
processor 120 of FIG. 1) executes an instruction, it may perform a
function corresponding to the instruction. The non-transitory
computer-readable storage media may include the memory 130 shown in
FIG. 1, for example.
The non-transitory computer-readable storage media may include hard
disks, floppy disks, magnetic media (for example, magnetic tape),
optical media (for example, compact disc (CD)-ROM, and DVD),
magneto-optical media (for example, floptical disk), and hardware
devices (for example, ROM, RAM, or flash memory). Additionally, a
program instruction may include high-level language code executable
by a computer using an interpreter in addition to machine code
created by a complier. The hardware device may be configured to
operate as at least one software module to perform an operation of
various embodiments of the present disclosure and vice versa.
A module or a programming module according to various embodiments
of the present disclosure may include at least one of the
above-mentioned components, may not include some of the
above-mentioned components, or may further include another
component. Operations performed by a module, a programming module,
or other components according to various embodiments of the present
disclosure may be executed through a sequential, parallel,
repetitive or heuristic method. Additionally, some operations may
be executed in a different order or may be omitted. Or, other
operations may be added.
While the present disclosure has been shown and described with
reference to various embodiments thereof, it will be understood by
those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details
may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of
the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims and their
equivalents.
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